Mandrel for forming containers



June 25, 1963 J. T. BELL MANDREL FOR FORMING CONTAINERS Filed. Oct. 12, 1961 3 R. 2 E 0% M K m M I 7 .m h V! 4 o B I 2 J u w 2 4 m 7 E 5 w m w my 11 2 u 3 Z w J f Q8 W H m 9 W 3% 0 ///a\\ 2 m m M United States Patent 3,094,906 MANDREL FOR FORMING CONTAINERS John T. Bell, Lombard, Ill., assignor to Container Corporation of America, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 12, 1961, Ser. No. 144,620 4 Claims. (Cl. 9359) The present invention relates to mechanism for forming containers and more particularly relates to a form of mandrel to facilitate the formation of cover flanges on covers of containers produced from relatively heavy pa- .drel to facilitate the production of flanged covers of containers in which the cover has a double-folded, depending flange with an anchoring flap or panel on the inner flange element, the mandrel having relatively movable parts arranged to clamp and hold the double-folded flange at the desired angle while the anchoring panel is secured to the under surface of the cover.

Additional and more specific objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

The form of mandrel herein disclosed is especially adapted for use in the production of returnable containers for bottled beverages. Such containers are often stored for various periods in places where there is considerable moisture. In the event these containers have crevices or small spaces in the cover construction or in other parts of the container, and they remain for a time in moist areas, insects of various kinds sometimes enter and propagate in the small spaces and are thus transported back to the bottling plants. Such containers must be given special cleaning treatment to assure that the insects will not be present on the next trip made by the container with filled bottles. By the use of the mandrel disclosed herein, the depending flanges on the cover formed from two thicknesses of paperboard are secured so that no spaces remain which may harbor insects. The double folded flanges are also preferably secured in such manner that the flanges will be maintained at angles less than right angles with their attached covers, thus facilitating movement of the coversto closed position by preventing the flange of one cover from striking against the other in the process of closing.

, Mandrels formed in accordance with this invention are useful in the production of containers such as disclosed in the co-pen-ding application of Clifford E. Reynolds, Serial No. 130,902, assigned to the same assignee as the present application.

In'the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, with pants broken away, showing a mandrel constructed in accordance with the invention; such mandrel having been inserted Within a container having hinged covers carried by the side Walls, the covers having depending flanges on their adjacent or meeting edges; and showing movable flange-clamping members and a central abutment member between which members the doublewthickness flanges are held at the desired angle while the anchoring panel is secured to the underside of the cover;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view, taken transversely through the folded flange sections inserted between the abutment and the movable, flange-engaging plates while such plates are spaced from the abutment member; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, similar to FIG. 2, but sho ing the movable, flange-engaging plates in their positions in which the flange sections are held clamped against the abutment member While being secured at a desired angle with respect to the cover.

The embodiment of the invention described herein comprises a box-like frame or mandrel having bottom, side and end Walls and partial top panel sections with an abutment member extending centrally and lengthwise of the mandrel. Between the abutment member and the partial top panel sections are arranged movable, elongated plate or jaw elements supported on swingable frames, pivoted on rods extending lengthwise of the mandrel. The plates move through small arcuate paths toward and from the abutment member. At their farthest distance the plates are spaced from the abutment member a sufiicient distance to admit a double-folded, depending cover flange 'of a container within which the mandrel has been placed. Before the double-thickness flanges, preferably previously secured together, are placed between the abutment member and the plate, glue will be applied to the appropriate faces of the anchoring panels carried on the inner flange sections. When the cover panels of the container are forced down upon the plates such plates will swing toward the abutment member to cause the doubled flange sections to be brought into an inclined relation to the main cover panel in which position they are held until the glue has set between the cover and the anchoring panel carried on the edge of the inside section of the flange.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the mandrel, indicated as a whole at 5 in FIG. 1, is shown inserted within a double, hinged-cover container, indicated as a whole at 6. The forms of containers with which the mandrel may be used may vary considerably in specific construciton. For purposes of illustration, the container 6 is shown as a one-piece style container, such as disclosed in the above mentioned application, and includes interconnected end and side wallsand suitable overlapping closure flaps carried by such Walls. The end walls, if desired, may have reinforcing portions along their upper edges but for simplicity of illustration, such reinforcing portions are omitted. Hinged covers 7, 7 are carried on opposite side walls and the ends of the covers are somewhat extended :at 7a to rest upon the upper edges of the end Walls when the covers are in closed position.

Each cover have a double-thickness, depending flange formed by narrow outer and inner panels 8 and 9. An anchoring panel or flap 10 is integrally carried on the outer free edge of panel 9 and is adapted to be secured, preferably by glue, to the under surface of the cover. While various ways of forming the cover flange structure may be employed, it is preferred first to secure panels 8 and 9 together by adhesive, leaving the anchoring panel unsecured. When the adhesive between the panels 8 and 9 on each cover has set the cover portions are ready to receive the mandrel operation.

The mandrel 5 has side walls 12, 12, end walls 13, 13, and a bottom wall 14, all preferably formed from si 1itable wood panels. Along each side wall are secured narrow top strips 15, 15 each closing approximately one-fourth of the top of the mandrel. The end walls 13 each have a cut-away portion 16. An abutment member 17, having sloping slides 17, is secured centrally of the mandrel with its ends attached to the end walls at their cut-away portions.

In the spaces between the abutment member 17 and the narrow top strips 15, 15 there are arranged inwardly and outwardly movable jaw members, indicated as a whole at 20, 20. These jaw members are preferably mounted for oscillating movement and for this purpose the top plate 21 of each member is secured to a pair of links 22, '22. Each pair of links is suitably pivoted intermediate the ends of such links on individual rods '23, 23 having their ends secured in the mandrel end walls. The lower ends of opposite links are urged toward each other as by means of coil springs 24, 24, whereby the jaw top plates 21 are urged away from each other. Due to the inclination of opposite links toward each other, as illustrated, downward pressure on the plates 21 will cause them to move toward the abutment member 17.

When the jaws are in open (position, spaces are opened at the sides of the abutment member to admit the double thickness of flanges of a partially completed container cover as shown in FIG. 2. With the jaw'top plates 21 clamped against the double folded flanges, and holding them firmly against the abutment member 17, the upper surfaces of the plates 21 are slightly above the adjacent upper surfaces of the mandrel top strips 15, 15 so that pressure applied to the covers will be concentrated on the anchoring flaps 10, 10. I

The mandrel, as herein disclosed, will preferably be employed by 'a packer who sets up his containers as needed. The flange panels '8 and 9 are preferably folded together and secured by give at the plant of the container manufacturer. The containers operated upon may be either of a one-piece or three-piece style. If the container is of a one-piece style with overlapping bottom flaps, the flange sections 8 and 9 will be glued, leaving the anchoring flap unsecured. The manufacturers joint of the container will then be secured and the containers, so prepared, may be transported in collapsed tubular form.

When the packer desires to form the containers, he will normally utilize 'a number of identical mandrels. The containers will first be -expanded and their overlapping bottom flaps secured. A mandrel will then be slipped into each such partially prepared container and glue will be applied between the anchoring flaps and the adjacent surfaces of the cover panel. The double folded flanges are then bent over and tucked into the spaces between the jaw plates and abutment member, as shown in FIG. 2. Pressure is then applied to the covers to force them down. At the same time this will force the jaw plates downward and inwarduntil the edges of the jaw plates are brought to bear firmly into the inside of the fold between panel sections 9 and 10. This fold, in turn, is forced firmly into the fold between the cover panel and flange panel 8.

As the cover and jaw plates move from the position shown in FIG. 2 to that shown in FIG. '3, there will be a small degree of outward slippage of each panel section 10 on the under side of its cover panel and the panel sections 10, upon setting of the glue, will be held in such positions. This will cause each depending flange to remain at substantially the same acute angle to which it was brought as shown in FIG. 3.

Any suitable means may be employed to retain the closures firmly closed u'ponthe jaw plates. This may be eflfectedby employing weighted members, or the containers may be conveyed beneath pressure belts which advance thecontainers asthe glue is setting.

After completion of the glueing, pressure will be released from the covers and the spring loaded links 22, 22

will then tend to swing the jawplates apart and upward,

the 'scope of the invention.

I claim:

:1. A mandrel for use in the production of an open-top, rectangular paperboard container, such container having side and end walls and a hinged cover on at least one Wall, the cover having a. depending flange of double thickness formed froma first narrow panel extending from the outer edge of the cover, a second, or interior, narrow panel of a width comparable to the first panel extending from the free edge of the first panel, the second panel having an anchoring panel joined to its free edge, said second panel being secured to the first panel and the anchoring panel having glue freshly applied thereto for adherence to the underside of the cover, the mandrel having vertical wall portions arranged to fit closely within a container of the type referred to, a supporting portion at the top of the mandrel to underlie the cover when in closed position, such supporting portion being formed with a receiving opening for a cover flange, an elongated abutment member disposed at the top of the mandrel along the flange-receiving opening and against which one surface of the depending cover flange is arranged to contact when the cover is moved toward closed position, and a clamping member comprising a flat, elongated plate with a pressure-applying edge extending lengthwise thereof, said plate being supported generally horizontally on the upper end of an upwardly extended link element swingable in a vertical plane, pivot means for such link element located inside the mandrel, medially of the height of its vertical wall portions, and medially between a vertical plane through the long axis of the abutment and the plane of a vertical wall of the mandrel parallel to the abutment, said link element having a length above its pivot sufiicient to support the surface of the plate at one point above the level of the supporting portion at the top of the mandrel, whereby the plate may be engaged in such position by the under side of the downswinging cover of an enclosing container before the cover has reached its normally closed position, and whereby said plate may be caused to swing down and toward the abutment under downward pressure applied to the cover, causing the plate to bear firmly edgewise against the inner surface of the depending cover flange and clamp the flange against the abutment member.

2. A mandrel for a six-sided, rectangular, paperboard container having a pair of hinged top covers with depending flanges arranged to project downward along the meeting edges of the covers when closed, such mandrel having vertical portions arranged to fit closely within the container, an elongated abutment member extending medially at the top of the mandrel against which the cover flanges are adapted to contact in flatwise relation, a pair of jaw members pivo'tally supported on the mandrel to swing toward and from the abutment, each jaw member including a link element with an elongated, flat plate element supported generally horizontally at the upper end of the link, said flat plate element having an edge arranged substantially parallel to the abutment and, in the closed position of the jaws, being approximately aligned with the top of the abutment and in close proximity thereto to clamp the cover flanges against the abutment, said flat plate elements being disposed in substantially the same plane when the jaw members are closed, whereby the plate elements are adapted to support the covers in areas immediately adjacent the depending flanges when the covers are in closed position, the link elements of the jaw members being inclined upwardly and inwardly of the mandrel toward the abutment, pivot means for each link element, said pivot means being located above the lower end of the mandrel, on opposite sides of the abutment and adjacent the planes of respective, opposed, vertical portions of the mandrel, whereby the plate element of each jaw member, upon moving to open position, will move in an arcuate path extending upwardly and outwardly away from the abutment to bring the supporting surface of the plate above the top of the mandrel.

3. A mandrel for a six-sided, rectangular, paperboard container having a pair of hinged top covers with depending flanges arranged to project downward along the meeting edges of the covers when closed, such mandrel having vertical portions arranged to fit closely within the container, an elongated abutment member extending medially at the top of the mandrel, said abutment having, in crosssection, an inverted V-shape to provide sloping sides against which the cover flanges are adapted to contact in flatwise relation, a pair of jaw members pivotally supported on the mandrel to swing toward and from the abutment, each jaw member including a flat plate element having an edge arranged substantially parallel to the abutment and, in the closed position of the jaws, being approximately aligned with the apex of the abutment and in close proximity thereto to clamp the cover flanges against the abutment, said flat plate elements being disposed in substantially the same plane when the jaw members are closed, whereby the plate elements are adapted to support the covers approximately horizontally when in closed position, the pivotal axes of the jaw members being located generally parallel with the abutment and spaced outwardly of a vertical line through such abutment, whereby opening of the jaw members will cause their plate elements to swing upward from their flange clamping position in an arcuate path which will bring the supporting surfaces of the plates above the top of the mandrel and thus swing the hinged closures bearing on such plates to partially raised position.

4. A mandrel for a six-sided, rectangular, paperboard container having a pair of hinged top covers with depending flanges arranged to project downward along the meeting edges of the covers when closed, such mandrel having vertical portions arranged to fit closely within the container, an elongated abutment member extending medially at the top of the mandrel, said abutment having, in cross-section, an inverted V-shape to provide sloping sides against which the cover flanges are adapted to contact in flatwise relation, a pair of jaw members pivotally supported on the mandrel to swing toward and firom the abutment, each jaw member including a flat plate element having an edge arranged substantially parallel to the abutment and, in the closed position of the jaws, being approximately aligned with the apex of the abutment and in close proximity thereto to clamp the cover flanges against the abutment, said flat plate elements being disposed in substantially the same plane when the jaw membets are closed, whereby the plate elements are adapted to support the covers approximately horizontally when in closed position, the pivotal axes of the jaw members being located generally parallel with the abutment and spaced outwardly of a vertical line through such abutment, whereby opening of the jaw members will cause their plate elements to swing upward and outward from their flange-clamping position through an arcuate path which will bring the supporting surfaces of the plates above the level of the abutment at the top of the mandrel, and means associated with said jaw members below their pivotal axes for urging the jaws toward open position.

Drnec Dec. 31, 1957 Wasyluka et a1. Mar. 18, 1958 

1. A MANDREL FOR USE IN THE PRODUCTION OF AN OPEN-TOP, RECTANGULAR PAPERBOARD CONTAINER, SUCH CONTAINER HAVING SIDE AND END WALLS AND A HINGED COVER ON AT LEAST ONE WALL, THE COVER HAVING A DEPENDING FLANGE OF DOUBLE THICKNESS FORMED FROM A FIRST NARROW PANEL EXTENDING FROM THE OUTER EDGE OF THE COVER, A SECOND, OR INTERIOR, NARROW PANEL OF A WIDTH COMPARABLE TO THE FIRST PANEL EXTENDING FROM THE FREE EDGE OF THE FIRST PANEL, THE SECOND PANEL HAVING AN ANCHORING PANEL JOINED TO ITS FREE EDGE, SAID SECOND PANEL BEING SECURED TO THE FIRST PANEL AND THE ANCHORING PANEL HAVING GLUE FRESHLY APPLIED THERETO FOR ADHERENCE TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE COVER, THE MANDREL HAVING VERTICAL WALL PORTIONS ARRANGED TO FIT CLOSELY WITHIN A CONTAINER OF THE TYPE REFERRED TO, A SUPPORTING PORTION AT THE TOP OF THE MANDREL TO UNDERLIE THE COVER WHEN IN CLOSED POSITION, SUCH SUPPORTING PORTION BEING FORMED WITH A RECEIVING OPENING FOR A COVER FLANGE, AN ELONGATED ABUTMENT MEMBER DISPOSED AT THE TOP OF THE MANDREL ALONG THE FLANGE-RECEIVING OPENING AND AGAINST WHICH ONE SURFACE OF THE DEPENDING COVER FLANGE IS ARRANGED TO CONTACT WHEN THE COVER IS MOVED TOWARD CLOSED POSITION, AND A CLAMPING MEMBER COMPRISING A FLAT, ELONGATED PLATE WITH A PRESSURE-APPLYING EDGE EXTENDING LENGTHWISE THEREOF, SAID PLATE BEING SUPPORTED GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY ON THE UPPER END OF AN UPWARDLY EXTENDED LINK ELEMENT SWINGABLE IN A VERTICAL PLANE, PIVOT MEANS FOR SUCH LINK ELEMENT LOCATED INSIDE THE MANDREL, MEDIALLY OF THE HEIGHT OF ITS VERTICAL WALL PORTIONS, AND MEDIALLY BETWEEN A VERTICAL PLANE THROUGH THE LONG AXIS OF THE ABUTMENT AND THE PLANE OF A VERTICAL WALL OF THE MANDREL PARALLEL TO THE ABUTMENT, SAID LINK ELEMENT HAVING A LENGTH ABOVE ITS PIVOT SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT THE SURFACE OF THE PLATE AT ONE POINT ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE SUPPORTING PORTION AT THE TOP OF THE MANDREL, WHEREBY THE PLATE MAY BE ENGAGED IN SUCH POSITION BY THE UNDER SIDE OF THE DOWNSWINGING COVER OF AN ENCLOSING CONTAINER BEFORE THE COVER HAS REACHED ITS NORMALLY CLOSED POSITION, AND WHEREBY SAID PLATE MAY BE CAUSED TO SWING DOWN AND TOWARD THE ABUTMENT UNDER DOWNWARD PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE COVER, CAUSING THE PLATE TO BEAR FIRMLY EDGEWISE AGAINST THE INNER SURFACE OF THE DEPENDING COVER FLANGE AND CLAMP THE FLANGE AGAINST THE ABUTMENT MEMBER. 